Lighting techniques
Use artificial light sources like a pro to brighten up subjects both creatively and technically
As you won’t always be photographing flowers in their natural habitat outside (or in sufficient daylight), it’s often necessary to add in your own lighting – be it with LEDs, flash or strobes.
In some situations, you’ll have to capture flowers where you find them. This is fine if you’re in a well-lit location, but what about in dim greenhouses and flower nurseries? Popping a small LED or ring flash onto your camera is an unobtrusive way to add lowintensity light, as Annemarie Farley can testify. “The beauty of a ring light is that it doesn’t create harsh shadows, and is great if you are very close to a subject that just needs a little extra light inside the centre of the flower head.”
Working in a studio setting lets you control exactly how your specimens are lit. Simon Schollum (www.schollum.photography)– inspired by the techniques of Dutch master painters – started in a spare room shooting still life with controlled window light. “I now have a studio where I mimic window light with Broncolor strobes shot through a variety of modifiers,” he says. “Mirrors, Cinefoil and reflectors are in constant use.”
When photographer Jocelyn Horsfall (www. jocelynhorsfall.com) is in her studio, she has two LED studio lights. “These are daylight balanced, but I can use filters over them to create different effects. Barn doors with a dimmer can control the amount of light I use.” Her lights are diffused with softboxes or beauty dishes, “for the gentle quality of light as well as reducing the power sufficiently so I can shoot at wide apertures. The direction would typically be side/back lighting to enhance texture and translucency, and I’ve got various reflectors and flags for more control.”
As with all photography, don’t be scared to keep lighting and lens choices tailored to your own style. “I generally choose lenses that produce interesting bokeh,” adds Farley. “Lensbaby optics produce a soft ethereal effect that I’ve not really seen in other lenses.” As every lens has a sweet spot, remember that the smallest aperture won’t always yield the sharpest photograph.